Hello BRS - Minimalist from Idaho

[PB Junkie]

I've been a runner for about 6 years or so. Started off with marshmallows or foot coffins if you will. About a year and a half ago, after many injuries, Hip bursitis/tendonitis, Morton's Neuroma, IT Band and lastly, achilles tendonitis, I was convinced by my PT to begin using the POSE method (he is an Ironman triathlete). His belief was that my heel striking along with a hip imbalance (from an injury years ago), were causing my problems.



Started using the POSE method and as I became more educated, switched over to minimalist shoes. Started out with the Inov-8 F-lite 195, Saucony Grid Type A4 and Minimus Trail.



Recently went to zero drop shoes and within the last couple of weeks, got into Vibrams Fivefingers.



I'm not a high mileage runner, only about 15 mpw right now due to achilles crankiness. I think it's on the upswing though and I hope to do some HMs again next spring. But if 10ks are my limit, that's okay too.



I've already learned tons of good info from this site and others like birthdayshoes, toesalad, RW barefoot forum and barefoot running university. I don't see myself going totally barefoot but never say never. Right now, I'm loving my VFFs and Merrell Trail Gloves/Sonic Gloves.



Glad to "meet" you all and to become part of such a great group.

 

[NickW]

Welcome Junkie.  I didn't

Welcome Junkie. I didn't think I would go truly barefoot either. Now that's what I mostly do unless I have a cut or blister. I tried the vff's but they didn't fit right for me and caused me pain, so then I made my own huaraches and loved them. Then I broke the first pair I made and had to go barefoot the rest of the way home and now, here I am a mostly barefoot runner. Long story short, thanks to that first pair of huaraches I was able to find out that I actually felt even better going barefoot, which was hard for me to believe. Good luck and glad to see you found this place. There are so many wonderful people who are willing to help and give you feedback.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome, PB&J!  Please tell

Welcome, PB&J! Please tell me how you resolved your problem with Morton's Neuroma, if you did.

 

[PB Junkie]

Barefoot TJ wrote:Welcome,

Welcome, PB&J! Please tell me how you resolved your problem with Morton's Neuroma, if you did.

After trying wider/bigger shoes and then a cortisone shot, I ended up having surgery. I was able to get back to running in about 5 weeks. I had some problems with swelling for about 6 months, but its much better now. I don't have a lot of feeling in the toe (next to the little toe) but it doesn't really bother me. I've read a lot about different treatments like cryo therapy and such. The surgery worked pretty well though.

 

[Phil Hart]

Welcome to the crew,

Welcome to the crew, PBJ.

The more you go truly BF, the better your form will get. The better your form will get, the better you'll feel and the more you'll enjoy running. The better you feel and the more you enjoy running, the better BF will feel.

That has been my experience (started in VFFs after 25 years of heel-striking left me with no cartilege in my right hip). It sounded crazy to me, but either I've become crazier or I've learned something I would not have expected. Possibly both, of course.

I still run in VFFS a couple times a week to give the soles a chance to rest and recover from minor cuts and friction-induced skin loss from when I get sloppy or tired.

We're glad to have you here with us.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I'm going to have traditional

I'm going to have traditional surgery to remove four neuromas (2 in each foot). I've had all the nonsense procedures, including cryosurgery, all of them a complete failure. What kind of swelling did you have there for six months; I mean what caused it? Why did it take so long to heal? How were you able to start running after five weeks if your foot was swolen? Didn't that hurt? How much of the nerve was removed?

 

[PB Junkie]

Barefoot TJ wrote:I'm going

I'm going to have traditional surgery to remove four neuromas (2 in each foot). I've had all the nonsense procedures, including cryosurgery, all of them a complete failure. What kind of swelling did you have there for six months; I mean what caused it? Why did it take so long to heal? How were you able to start running after five weeks if your foot was swolen? Didn't that hurt? How much of the nerve was removed?

I had a small neuroma on my left foot, between my 3rd and 4th toes (the one next to the pinky toe and the one to the right of that). The swelling wasn't debillitating but I would have to keep my foot up and ice after running and lots of walking. It wasn't horrible, just annoying. It will still swell occasionally, and its been almost 3 years ago, but I don't know if that is still the surgery site or just general swelling. As far as what caused it, from the reading I've done some folks just have swelling for longer periods than others, probably because you can't stay off your feet.



It didn't bother me to run on it and I used ice quite a bit, sometimes before I ran. I was actually cleared to run in 3 weeks but decided to cross train for a bit longer until I felt ready as the surgery site wasn't completely healed up. I don't really know how much of the nerve was removed but I don't have any feeling on one side of the toe.



All in all, it turned out very well. I took a week off work and probably should have taken two weeks as I do a lot of walking in my building.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Thanks for the info.  With my

Thanks for the info. With my luck, I will probably have the worst-case scenario. I hope not.

 

[PB Junkie]

Barefoot TJ wrote:Thanks for

Thanks for the info. With my luck, I will probably have the worst-case scenario. I hope not.

I sure hope not. I've known plenty of folks that had the surgery and had zero problems. I'm just one of those people that takes a little longer to heal.



Even though I had some swelling issues, it wasn't that big of a deal. I just kept my foot up when I was sitting and iced quite a bit. I bought some shoes that were men's wide a couple of sizes bigger than what I wore for awhile and eventually got back into my regular shoes.



I wish you the best. I hope you'll let us know how you're doing.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Thanks.

Thanks.